If you purchased a MacBook between 2015 and 2019 with a ‘Butterfly’ keyboard, it looks like you’re in luck! Apple settled a class action lawsuit over the defective keyboards in 2022, but we just heard that payouts are finally being made to affected MacBook owners.
MacRumors reports that the keyboard control The website has been updated to inform claimants that a payment order was issued on June 27. For those with approved claims, payments will be made no later than August 2024.
In late 2022, emails were sent to MacBook owners who were eligible for a payment. The settlement payments range from $50 to $395, with the latter maximum amount given to those who had to replace a top case twice within four years of ownership.
Those who did receive an email had until March 2023 to file their claim. Due to the issues with the Butterfly keyboard, Apple has reverted to a scissor mechanism. MacBooks produced after 2019 are no longer affected by these issues.
According to the settlement website: “A settlement has been reached with Apple in a class action lawsuit alleging that certain MacBook laptops sold between 2015 and 2019 were equipped with defective butterfly keyboards that can result in unexpected character repetition, letters or characters not appearing, and/or the keys becoming ‘sticky’ or not responding in a consistent manner.”
The statement added: “Apple denies all allegations in the lawsuit, denies that MacBooks are defective, and denies that Apple did anything improper or unlawful. Apple asserts numerous defenses to the claims in this case. The proposed settlement to resolve this matter is not an admission of fault or wrongdoing of any kind by Apple.”
Can you still make a claim?
So, what is a butterfly keyboard? While scissor keys have two intersections to bear the weight of your finger taps (they look like scissors, hence the name), the butterfly key has a hinge in the middle that is pressed down to register.
Because of the ‘V’ shape of the butterfly switch, crumbs, dirt or dust can more easily get under the mechanism and obstruct the key press. But with scissor keys, it is more difficult to get these types of blockages due to the ‘X’ shape of the switch.
If this is all news to you and you want to get in on the settlement, that may be difficult, as the deadline for claims is now well past. However, those expecting a payout should get it very soon, perhaps even this month – or at least by the end of August, as stated.
It is unclear why there was such a long wait between the approval of the settlement and the actual payment.